Picture and mirror hanging hardware



Jan. 17, 1967 J. M. PALM FICTURE AND MIRROR HANGING HARDWARE Filed Oct. 24, 1965 #rfaz 5 United States Patent 3,298,655 PICTURE AND MIRROR HANGING HARDWARE James M. Palm, Winnebago, Ill., assiguor to Rockford Engineered Products Co., Rockford, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Oct. 24, 1965, Ser. No. 504,333 7 Claims. (Cl. 248-498) This invention relates to picture and mirror hanging hardware designed to simplify and speed up the hanging operation and at the same time obtain uniformly better results mainly by reason of the adjustment features afforded, which enable lateral adjustment of the mounting bracket on the wall and vertical adjustment of the hanger clip on the back of the mirror or picture, the thought being that after a picture or mirror has been hung even a quarter inch adjustment laterally can make a big difference and a similar amount of vertical adjustment is often also desirable, so the adjustment slots on both pieces of hardware are approximately of that length.

Another important feature of the invention is the elongated solid line contact afforded between the hanger clip and mounting bracket whereby to avoid the inevitable drooping that goes with the old style hangings where there is only point contact usually.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are a front view and bottom view of a hanger clip made in accordance with my invention showing the part approximately full size;

FIG. 3 is a section on the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a similar section showing a modified or alternative construction;

FIG. 5 is a front view of the mounting bracket shown approximately full size;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-section on the line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a similar section showing a modified or alternative construction, and

FIG. 8 illustrates how the hanger clip on the back of a mirror or picture designed to be applied to the mounting bracket on the wall.

Similar reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughout these views.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral 10 designates a hanger clip of my invention adapted to be secured to the back of a mirror or picture, as indicated at 11 in FIG. 8, and 12 designates a cooperating mounting bracket of my invention fastened to a wall indicated at 13 in FIG. 8. It will be noticed that the clip 10, which is generally U-shaped, having a long narrow cross-portion 14 with relatively short legs 15 at opposite ends, from which extend at right angles the attaching pad portions or ears 16 of generally rectangular form, each provided with a small nail or screw hole 17 in the outer end portion and a vertical slot 18 inwardly spaced from the nail hole to accommodate another nail or screw of a similar small size, like that indicated at 19 in FIG. 8. This construction enables parallel adjustment of the clip up or down from a given position on the back of the picture or mirror, using a single nail or screw in each of the slots 18 for the preliminary fastening, and adding a nail or brad in each of the holes 17 later when the final setting for the clip 10 is determined.

The mounting bracket 12 is generally U-shaped in vertical cross-section and of approximately the same width from end to end as the space between the legs 15 of the clip 10, so that the clip 10 will fit fairly closely on bracket 12 when the picture or mirror to which the clip is secured is to be hung on the bracket, as in FIG. 8, the ends 20 of the front Wall 21 converging upwardly as seen in FIG. 5 to guide the clip 10 down into the space 22 between the front and back walls 21 and 23 of the bracket. The front and back walls 21 and 23 are interconnected by a fairly short web 24 at the bottom. Rounded upper corners 25 on the opposite ends of the front wall 21 facilitate interengagement of clip 10 with bracket 12, making the connection therebetween much smoother than it might otherwise be. The upper edge portion 26 of the front wall 21, as seen in the enlarged section of FIG. 6 is preferably curved forwardly to further facilitate the interconnection of the clip and bracket par-ts, the space 22 between the front and rear walls of the mounting bracket being only slightly larger than the thickness of the crossportion 14 of the clip 10. The back wall 23 extends appreciably above the level of the top of the front wall 21 and is of generally rectangular form and has horizontal elongated slots 27 provided in the opposite end portions thereof at the top to receive small nails, brads, or screws as indicated at 28 in FIG. 8 for fastening the brackets to the Wall while allowing lateral adjustment to a limited extent before the final setting of the bracket on the wall, the thought being, as stated before, that after a picture or mirror has been hung, even a quarter inch adjustment laterally is often desirable, slots 27 being approximately of that length with that thought in mind.

In passing, attention is called to the vertical center line mark 29 that is provided on the back wall 23 of the bracket 12. This enables initially locating the bracket fairly accurately with respect to a bench mark made on the wall 13 at the outset. A similar vertical center line mark is shown at 30 on the clip 10 with a view to similarly locating the clip properly with respect to a bench mark made on the back of the picture or mirror 11 at the outset.

In operation, the operator, having determined fairly accurately at the outset where the picture or mirror 11 is to be hung and having made a mark on the wall 13 at the right height for the bracket 12 to be fastened, the brads, screws, or nails 28 are driven into the wall through slots 27 but are left loose purposely so that the bracket 12 can be shifted to the right or left through a range of approximately a quarter of an inch. In like manner, the clip 10 is fastened to the middle of the back of the picture or mirror 11 to be hung, using again a preliminary bench mark on the longitudinal center line of the picture at approximately the right elevation, and fastening the clip 10 by brads, screws, or nails entered in slots 18, leaving these loose enough purposely so that one may adjust the clip up or down in a range of about a quarter of an inch to secure the desired setting before these fastenings are tightened and before other nails, brads, or screws are entered in the holes 17 for the final fastening of the clip on the picture or mirror. Thus, with my invention I can insure much better final setting of the picture or mirror because of the latitude of a quarter inch adjustment laterally and vertically that is made possible with my improved construction, the slots 17 and 18 being approximately of that length. The elongated line contact between the clip 10 and bracket 12 furthermore makes for a much more reliable hanging because there is no likelihood of drooping of the picture or mirror to one side or the other as there was inevitably with the old style wire hangings where there was only point contact of the wire on the hook. A final tap with the hammer is enough to set the clip 10 and bracket 12 firmly in their final adjusted positions. When a picture or mirror is removed for cleaning or when decorating and is rehung, the present hardware insures exact location and positioning .as when hung originally.

The modified form of clip 10 shown in FIG. 4 has the cross-portion 14' in downwardly diverging relationship to the vertical plane of the attaching ears 16 to coincide with the forward inclination of the front wall 21' on the mounting bracket 12' shown in FIG. 7. The space 22' left between the lower end of the front wall 21' and the lower end of the back wall 23 is such that the clip will have a tight fit in the bracket 12. There is also a slight rearward inclination of the slotted upper edge portion of the back wall 23' as seen at 31, whereby to insure a better hold on the wall by the nails entered in the slots, due to their downward inclination. The construction otherwise follows the same pattern as the construction first described, and similar results are obtained.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of the objects and advantages of my invention. The appendeed claims have been drawn to cover all legitimate modifications and adaptations.

I claim:

1. Picture and mirror hanging hardware comprising a hook-shaped bracket part, and a generally U-shaped clip part, the hook-shaped bracket part being of appreciable length transversely in relation to its vertical dimension, and the clip part receiving the hook portion of said bracket part between the leg portions of the U, said clip part being also of appreciable length transversely in relation to its vertical dimension, and the two parts in terengaged having elongated line contact on one another, one of said bracket and clip parts having longitudinally extending slots provided therein at opposite ends to receive brad, nail, or screw fastener means with latitude for lateral adjustment of the part with respect to the fasteners, the other of said bracket and clip parts having elongated slots provided therein at opposite ends in cross Wise relation to the first mentioned slots adapted to receive brad, nail, or screw fastener means permitting adjustment of the last mentioned part relative to the fasteners in transverse relationship to the adjustment of the first mentioned part.

2. Mirror and picture hanging hardware as set forth in claim 1 wherein said bracket part has longitudinally extending horizontal slots provided therein at opposite ends adapted to receive brad, nail, or screw fastener means with latitude for lateral adjustment of said bracket relative to the fasteners from a given position before the fastener means are finally secured in a selected position, said clip part having attaching ears provided in coplanar relation on its opposite ends with vertical slots provided therein to receive brad, nail, or screw fastener means for fastening the same with latitude for vertical adjustment of the clip before the fasteners are finally secured.

3. Mirror and picture hanging hardware as set forth in claim 1 wherein said clip part also has other holes provided in said ears to receive brad, nail, or screw elements for final securing of the clip part after the adjustments.

4. Picture and mirror hanging hardware comprising .a hook-shaped bracket part, and a generally U-shaped clip part, the hook-shaped bracket part being of appreciable length transversely in relation to its vertical dimension, and the clip part receiving the hook portion of said bracket part between the leg portions of the U, said clip part being also of appreciable length transversely in relation to its vertical dimension, and the two parts interengaged having elongated line contact on one another, said clip part having attaching ears in coplanar relation provided on opposite ends, the cross-portion of the U being in a plane in acute angle relationship to the plane of said attaching ears.

5. Mirror and picture hanging hardware as set forth in claim 4 wherein the bracket part has the front of the hook-shaped portion thereof inclined in substantially the same direction as the cross-portion of the clip part.

6. Picture and mirror hanging hardware comprising a hook-shaped bracket part, and a generally U-shaped clip part, the hook-shaped bracket part being of appreciable length transversely in relation to its vertical dimension, and the clip part receiving the hook portion of said bracket part between the leg portions of the U, said clip part being also of appreciable length transversely in relation to its vertical dimension, and the two parts interengaged having elongated line contact on one another, the bracket and clip parts being made to fit closely in one another.

7. Mirror and picture hanging hardware as set forth in claim 6 wherein the hook portion of said bracket part is of tapered form on the ends to facilitate entry between the leg portions of the clip part References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 859,013 7/1907 Roberts et al 248224 2,234,821 3/1941 Duby 24829 2,299,443 10/1942 Walmsley 24829 2,530,892 11/1950 Mayo 24831 2,635,840 4/1953 Barry 24829 2,709,055 5/1955 Harty 24828 3,117,353 1/1964 Edwards 20-92 3,165,287 1/1965 Parsons 248-224 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

1. PICTURE AND MIRROR HANGING HARDWARE COMPRISING A HOOK-SHAPED BRACKET PART, AND A GENERALLY U-SHAPED CLIP PART, THE HOOK-SHAPED BRACKET PART BEING OF APPRECIABLE LENGTH TRANSVERSELY IN RELATION TO ITS VERTICAL DIMENSION, AND THE CLIP PART RECEIVING THE HOOK PORTION OF SAID BRACKET PART BETWEEN THE LEG PORTIONS OF THE U, SAID CLIP PART BEING ALSO OF APPRECIABLE LENGTH TRANSVERSELY IN RELATION TO ITS VERTICAL DIMENSION, AND THE TWO PARTS INTERENGAGED HAVING ELONGATED LINE CONTACT ON ONE ANOTHER, ONE OF SAID BRACKET AND CLIP PARTS HAVING LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SLOTS PROVIDED THEREIN AT OPPOSITE ENDS TO RECEIVE BRAD, NAIL, OR SCREW FASTENER MEANS WITH LATITUDE FOR LATERAL ADJUSTMENT OF THE PART WITH RESPECT TO THE FASTENERS, THE OTHER OF SAID BRACKET AND CLIP PARTS HAVING ELONGATED SLOTS PROVIDED THEREIN AT OPPOSITE ENDS IN CROSSWISE RELATION TO THE FIRST MENTIONED SLOTS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE BRAD, NAIL, OR SCREW FASTENER MEANS PERMITTING ADJUSTMENT OF THE LAST MENTIONED PART RELATIVE TO THE FASTENERS IN TRANSVERSE RELATIONSHIP TO THE ADJUSTMENT OF THE FIRST MENTIONED PART. 